Adamo Concurro
by Brice Smudar
Summary: *based off of a Sonic RPG forum* When a fight with Eggman draws in a host of new people, they also invite a plethora of new enemies. In the mossy forests of Nekrapolis, anything can, and DOES, happen.
1. Emerald Beach

_**An Author's Note:**_

_**Alright, for those of you who don't know, this story is based off of a Sonic the Hedgehog-themed RPG. I thought that the plot was interesting and clear enough to be written as a story, so I've taken it apon myself to do just that (since Reverse Psychology won't be done anytime soon, I need something to take up time.) This story takes place in a Sonic storyline where Sonic and Tails haven't met yet. In fact, the only canon characters that know each other are Sonic and Eggman. Oh, and Tails is a girl. Just thought that you should know. ^^**_

_**Here are the other people's OCs. They don't belong to me. And Sonic and Eggman don't belong to me either, of course.**_

_**Bolt the Wolf's OCs: Marl the Fox, Ren Swanson the Cat, Bolt the Wolf, Freak the Weasel**_

_**DarkCloud 780's OCs: Riku the Hedgehog, Miles Prower (sort of, since she's a girl with a new personality)**_

_**Omega 445's OCs: Kyle the Kitsune**_

**_More authors' OCs will be added and credited in later chapters. _**

**_Also, if your OC was not included in this part of the plot, and they WERE part of the plot in the forum, don't worry; they ARE in the story. Just not now._**

* * *

The Emerald Ocean's waves grew and shrank lazily against the sandy beaches. Sea foam frothed from the larger waves a few meters off of the coast, the perfect size and shape for surfing. The verdant closure of the Viridor Forest was not far from the sand, barely divided by the few feet of soft grass. The forest itself was always several degrees cooler than the shore, filled with the smell of bark and leaves, covered with moist moss from the constant rainfall that the Nektropolitan Peninsula offered. Marl the Fox reclined in the shade, laying in his hammock stretched between two trees. It was difficult to see his outline, since his gray fur and earthtoned cape camouflaged him so well. That was probably why Sonic ran into him.

The hammock flipped over, dumping Marl onto the ground. He angrily pulled out a trip cord, hurling it at Sonic's ankles, where it fastened, tripping him. Sonic had been running so fast the the speed of his fall dug a trench into the forest floor, scraping away a layer of fallen leaves.

"Woah, sorry dude. It was an accident." Sonic said, snapping the cord off of his feet and standing up, brushing dirt off of himself as he did so.

"I was sleeping, you idiot. Don't you know how obnoxious it is to hurl someone onto the ground while they're sleeping?" Marl said, his sharp canines flashing. "Who the hell do you think you are?" he demanded.

"Sonic the Hedgehog. Maybe you've heard of me?"

"No."

"Oh." he said, his cockiness knocked down a tick. "Well, who are you?"

"Marl." he answered.

"Marl...the _what_?"

"Just Marl."

"No last name? Not even 'The Fox?'"

"No." Marl said, clinging to his final thread of patience. But he soon became distracted as he heard something thrash through the woods, carelessly knocking aside brush and shrub as it ran. _Probably a tourist, overexcited at seeing the beach, littering a truckload of trash as he skips over here._ Marl thought cynically. Most people never really appreciated the forest like he did. But....the thrashing noises sounded more frantic than anything else.

"Shut up, I hear something." he ordered Sonic, who crossed his arms in annoyance. Marl pulled out his bow and cocked an arrow towards the noise, deep in the forest.

Eventually, the bushes parted. A white Hedgehog with gray streaks ran out, wearing a white sleeveless jacket with no shirt under it, and black pants with no shoes. Some sort of strange black tattoo covered his right arm, which also carried a lethal looking sword. He was bleeding through various shallow cuts.

Marl shot the arrow into a nearby tree, stopping the Hedgehog in his tracks, and quickly whipping out another arrow.

"What happened?" Marl asked simply.

Sonic rolled his eyes. "'Cuz that's the most polite way to greet somebody--"

"I said shut up." Marl interrupted.

"We don't have time for this!" the white Hedgehog shouted, glancing back over his shoulder. "If you heard me coming, then you've gotta be able to hear what's following me!"

The roar of several engines swelled loudly enough for all of them to hear it.

"Are there other people here?" the white Hedgehog asked.

"Yes, and--" Marl began.

"We need to get them the hell out of here!" the Hedgehog shouted again.

A swarm of bipedal robots shot out of the forest, their jet exhaust burning the moss that layered the ground, creating a horrible smell. Their arms collapsed in on themselves like telescopes, rotated, then extended again, forming rapid-fire guns. They rained bullets onto the three Animals, who dodged the firepower. As a result, several trees were shot. One tree was peppered with so many bullets that the entire trunk fell over, bleeding sap.

The white Hedgehog quickly sprang up and decapitated one of them with his sword. Marl shot an explosive arrow into another one, popping it nearly inside-out like a metal balloon. Sonic roundhouse kicked a robot in the chest, knocking the engine out of it's back.

"See what I mean?" The white Hedgehog asked. "C'mon!"

Rumbles from more robots came, accompanied by more bullets.

* * *

The black Weasel watched the scene intently from his hiding spot, furiously scribbling everything he saw into a notebook. _Hmm. Interesting. That gray Fox could use a good lobotomy...no, I'll save that for the blue one. __Note: find meaning for the white Hedgie's tattoo, may be useful later_. He quietly shut the notebook and adjusted his hiding spot a few feet closer to the shore to observe the beachgoers.

* * *

The entire region of Nekrapolis was notorious for being green-themed, meaning that many of the natural flora and fauna were various shades of green. The constant rainfall kept the forests moist and fertile, along with the daily fog that blanketed it in thick gray vapor, maintaining a cool, wet atmosphere. Emerald Beach was named such because of the curious green seashells found there, naturally lacquered in viridian mother-of-pearl sheen, and valued as souvenirs by travelers.

The beach was just as peaceful as the forest had been, before the robots attacked. The weather was supposed to stay dry and very warm for the rest of the week, attracting visitors. Bolt the Wolf, one such visitor, looked for all the world like a clump of matching jade seaweed with his neon green fur, as he lay on his back in the water. His friend (hopefully to him, his soon-to-be girlfriend), Ren Swanson, was building an elaborate sandcastle. Being a Cat, she didn't want to be in the water. She herself looked like a sand sculpture with her tan fur.

A short ways down the beach, a two-tailed female Fox of the orange-furred, blue-eyed stock reclined on a beach towel, soaking up as much of the sun as possible. A paperback book was limply held in her left hand, which she had long since stopped reading in favor of simply relaxing. She planned on chatting with the Animals down the beach; the tan Cat seemed friendly.

Not far off shore, another Fox rushed by on his surfboard. Ren looked up from her castle, which she had adorned with chunks of malachite shells, staring at the unusual surfboard, which seemed to be jet-propelled. An uncommonly large wave came and knocked the teenage Fox off of his board. The same wave swept up and dissolved Ren's sand castle, toppling her spires and ramparts into the soft silt.

"Darn,"she said. She looked up again as Bolt yelled out a swear word, apparently having been struck by the still active surfboard. The Fox apologized to him as they both swam back to shore.

"It's okay, really. I'm fine." Bolt assured the Fox, as he held his clawed hand up against a growing bump on his skull.

"You sure? You looked like you got hit pretty badly," the Fox said worriedly.

"Don't worry, he's got a pretty hard head. He's been hit with worse things." Ren said. "I'm Ren, by the way." she added for the Fox's benefit, trying to be friendly.

"I'm Bolt," Bolt said, shaking himself to dry off and putting his armored vest back on. Ren grumbled in annoyance as she was sprinkled with water.

"I'm Kyle," he said. He looked to be about sixteen or seventeen, with silver fur, built slightly muscularly, and had three tails. "I was actually looking for someone who might have lost this. It looked really expensive, so I thought that I should return it." He pulled out a bright green gem from his black jacket pocket, creating a shower of refracted light along the ground. "I thought that it was another seashell at first, but it was making all these neat little green dots all around it, so I figured that it must be something shinier."

"Wow. That's definitely not ours. We don't have anything cool like that," Ren said.

"Speaking of cool things, turn around," Bolt said. Ren turned around like he'd suggested. Out from the cover of trees ran Marl, their friend, followed by a blue Hedgehog who looked like he was having fun, and a white Hedgehog who frequently glanced behind him. And following _them_, was a huge flood of robots, led by some sort of fat human in red and yellow with a giant ginger mustache, floating around in a metal pod.

"Torch the lot of them! That's an order!" the human yelled.

* * *

Riku, the white Hedgehog, ran out of the forest as quickly as he could to alert everyone on the beach of the coming robots. However, the robots were chasing them at such a short distance away, that an explanation as to what they were running from was going to be completely pointless.

Riku turned around and stabbed his sword into the crease between a robot's metal plates, twisting it as he did so and snapping apart the mechanizations inside. Sonic jumped up and somersaulted in a forward flip, his heel striking down onto a robot's cranium, collapsing it like a top hat. Marl shot one particularly sharp arrow through a robot, but the arrow continued moving, piercing through several more robots until it hit a final one, which exploded.

The first wave of robots had been destroyed, but Eggman was quickly calling for reinforcements. Marl ran over to Bolt, Ren, and Kyle as fast as one could run through soft beach sand.

"I don't think I need to state the obvious in saying 'We're under fire,' so I won't. Are we planning on staying to fight, or fleeing?" Marl asked.

"We're fighting, of course. Did you really just ask _me_ that?" Bolt said enthusiastically, and as a result, everyone's fur stood up on end as Bolt wound up his electric abilities, thus aptly naming him _Bolt_.

"Yes, we're staying. The less robots in the area, the better." Ren agreed, her violet eyes flashing in the sun. Her ability to control air currents would be most useful here.

"What about you?" Marl asked Kyle, who had been lost in thought up until now.

"....Do you think you could lure them into the forest?" Kyle asked. "'Cuz I have something there that can take out a whole bunch of them at once. But it's gotta be in the forest."

"We'll go there if we have to," Marl said impatiently as a new wave of robots pullulated from the tree cover. Kyle disappeared through the foliage of the forest as he ducked around the robots, heading towards whatever secret weapon existed there.

A robot was instantly thrown into a tree by a strong gust of wind, the mass of moving air strong enough to blow out a trough of sand. Ren didn't let the wind abate, holding the robot against the trunk as Bolt fired an arc of blinding electricity at it. The robot's wires burst, destroying it. Riku decapitated several surrounding robots at once by swinging his sword in a circle, sending their heads flying like startled pigeons. Marl pulled out a dagger and hurled it at a robot, the blade sticking through it's optical sensor and stabbing into the self-destruct command. The robot exploded, throwing Marl's dagger into the back of another robot, deactivating it also.

Before long, the second wave of robots was destroyed, their metallic carcasses flaming and smoking on the ground. Eggman shouted something angry and unintelligible before steering his flying pod back into the forest.

"Dang, you guys know what your doin'" Sonic said as he ran up to them. "I'm Sonic, by the way." he added.

"I'm Bolt," he said, "and this is Ren Swanson the Cat, and I guess you already know Marl."

"Yeah, we've met," Sonic said, smirking.

The orange female Fox ran over to them, limping slightly, still holding her paperback book.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, are you?" Sonic asked, concerned. "You look like you got hurt."

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. I just hurt my ankle as I kicked a robot over there," she said, jabbing a gloved thumb over towards her beach towel, which was surrounded by heaps of scrap metal that were recently robots.

"Cool." Sonic said. "What's your name?"

"Miles." she said, taking off her sunglasses.

Bolt stiffened slightly, glancing in several directions quickly, as if looking for something.

"Bolt, knock it off before you give yourself whiplash." Marl said. "What are you looking for?"

"Nobody else felt that?" Bolt asked.

"I didn't feel anything." Ren said.

"Me neither," Miles added.

"My fur just prickled a bit, like when you rub a balloon on it, and it gets all staticky," Bolt explained. "Something's going on in the forest."

"It's probably Kyle's weapon, remember?" Ren said. "I'm kinda curious as to what it is. Should we go check it out?"

"Heck yes!" Bolt cried, already running towards the fringe of trees.

"Bolt, you have to wait for us!" Ren yelled after him. Marl sighed in irritation and followed them.

"Wanna check it out?" Sonic asked Miles. She thought about it for a second, but then dropped her book onto the sand.

"Yeah, let's go."


	2. Burning Clearing

**_An Author's Note:_**

**_Chapter Two! Hoorah! It's pretty different from what happened in the forum, but it still creates the same setting and serves the same purpose. Two new characters are introduced._**

**_I don't own Sonic, Eggman, or any of the OCs, except for the one that I say does._**

_**Bolt the Wolf's OCs: Marl the Fox, Ren Swanson the Cat, Bolt the Wolf**_

_**DarkCloud 780's OCs: Riku the Hedgehog, Miles Prower (sort of, since she's a girl with a new personality), Serina the Kitsune**_

_**Omega 445's OC: Kyle the Kitsune**_

**_Brice Smudar's OC: Tyler Scrimmer_**

**_More authors' OCs will be added and credited in later chapters. _**

**_Also, if your OC was not included in this part of the plot, and they WERE part of the plot in the forum, don't worry; they ARE in the story. Just not now._**

* * *

Kyle broke through the cover of trees, running through the forest as fast as he could towards his home, which was mercifully close to the shore, but not close enough that he didn't have to run there to make it in time. The mossy branches and deep brown tree trunks only thickened as he continued. The forest steadily darkened as a shelf of clouds slowly covered the sky and blocked out the sun, painting the forest a nice blue-green color.

Eventually, he made it into some sort of natural depression in the ground, like a very shallow crater. In the center of the shallow dip was a large tree, slightly taller and wider than those around it. Buried between two thick roots were a pair of steel double doors. Kyle pressed a button on his wristwatch, and the doors opened with a pneumatic hiss, blowing away a few stray leaves.

Kyle marched down the ramped floor to the main hallway, the lights turning on as he did so in luminescent white strips along the floor and ceiling. He passed by several doors and open arches, all designed in the neo-tech architecture that his father favored, to emulate typical 1950's style sci-fi.

"Serina, are you near here?" Kyle called. There wasn't a response for a moment until a door opened, revealing a small boy, around seven or eight years old, with shaggy black hair and a hoodie.

"She's in the garden again. Do you want me to get her?" the boy asked.

"No thanks, Tyler. I'll call her." Kyle said. Tyler nodded and returned to his room. Kyle walked over to the wall and typed a command into the console mounted there. A thin rod with a tiny, spherical microphone poked out of the it, extending right to Kyle's face.

"Serina, please come to the main defense chamber immediately." he spoke calmly into the microphone, transmitting his message across the mile long underground complex to the artificial garden room, where it was projected from internal speakers.

Confident that Serina would be with him in no time, Kyle speed walked to the control room he'd mentioned. The doors slid open in front of him, allowing him to enter the dark metallic chamber. The curved wall in front of him was covered in monitors, all overseeing the vast Hermitage. He sat in his chair and typed a command. Another screen was pulled up, showing a detailed map of the surrounding Viridor Forest within a mile radius of his subterranean home.

The map was green, with small yellow dots slowly moving from the shore towards one of the bunker's several entrances. _Those must be Ren, Bolt, and the others at the beach,_ Kyle thought to himself. They most likely didn't live in the area, which meant that they were travelers. And since they were travelers, then they would probably be staying in a the run-down hostel a few miles up the shoreline. _Why not be a generous host? I already have two unexpected people down here. A few more guests couldn't hurt if they need a better place to stay. _An alarm began to ring loudly within the control room, jerking his attention back to the screen. The yellow dots were moving at the same pace, but behind them was a cluster of red dots, most likely the enemies they'd fought earlier...

* * *

"How far do you think Kyle could've gone?" Ren asked as they walked through the forest, stepping over tree roots and letting their eyes wander over the dim blue-green foliage of the trees.

"We're going the right way, I know that much." Marl said. "He left a pretty clear trail."

"Did you see where that white Hedgehog went? He was here for the fight, but I haven't seen him since," Bolt said, keeping his eyes on the pinecones that he was juggling.

"I haven't seen him." Sonic said as Bolt tripped over a root, scattering the pinecones everywhere. Miles helped him up, trying not to laugh.

"What kind of weapon do you think he has way out here?" Ren wondered aloud.

"My bet is some sort of trap," Bolt said. "Like spiked pits covered in leaves, or trees that fall on you when you break a trip wire. Stuff like that."

"Bolt, I'm pretty sure Kyle isn't an Ewok. I'm sure it's something like a laser cannons mounted on the tops of the taller trees." Sonic said.

Marl stopped inspecting the ground in front of him, suddenly standing straight up, his ears twitching.

"It's too quiet. There are no more birds or insects near here." he said.

"Did something scare them off?" Miles asked.

"...Yes. And we're about to meet it. Let's see if we can't get any further, though." Marl took off, his cape snapping behind him as he ran. The others followed him until they reached a small rounded clearing, with the ground sloping toward the center. In the center was a tree, and lodged between its' roots looked like a set of metal doors...

They stopped, all five of them ringed around the tree and facing away from it, ready to fight off whatever was coming their way. The bank of clouds finally blotted out all the blue in the sky, dimming down the clearing like a celestial light switch. The Marl stiffened again, perking his ears towards an unheard noise.

"...Hmm. Him again?" he muttered.

The white Hedgehog broke through the trees once more, covered with even more bruises and scrapes.

"Well look who it is. Deja vu. What's the problem now?" Sonic asked him as he staggered towards them.

"It's the same problem. That fat human's back. And he brought friends." the Hedgehog said, the black swirling streaks on his arm much more clear.

"He can bring as many friends as he wants. It still won't change the fact that we'll beat him." Sonic said, punching his fist into his open palm.

"Well, before we have to kick some more robotic butt, what's your name? We can't just say 'hey you!' all the time," Bolt said.

"It's Riku." he said, lifting his sword and facing the forest like the rest of them.

It wasn't long before they heard the tell-tale whirring of motors and jets. Eggman came back, once again occupying all space in his pod with his obesity and ego.

"Oh good, I've finally caught up with the lot of you. You didn't think I'd let you get away with demolishing my creations? You could say it got me a little...fired up." He snapped his fingers, and a pointed weapon unfolded out from underneath his pod, clicking into the shape of a gun barrel. There was a high-pitched whine as it powered up, until it released a stream of orange flames, glowing in bright contrast to the dim greenish-blue of the forest. Sonic leapt out of the way as the jet of fire ignited the ground he stood on. A second gun popped out of the pod, though this one release a smelly, yellowish liquid, which turned out to be oil, seeing as it made the flames expand.

Bolt shot a cascade of electricity at the pod, electrifying it. Eggman's teeth rattled as he was shocked, but his pod had absorbed most of the energy. Eggman _hmphed_ and pressed a button, lowering a plexiglass shield around the pod, shielding it from more lightning.

More flames shot out, following Ren, who ran around in a random pattern to avoid it. The fire followed her, burning much of the clearing in the process. She tried to blow it out with a gust of air, but it only made them grow.

Marl fired an explosive arrow at the pod, pushing it backwards into a tree. Eggman righted himself and sent a concentrated blast at the base of the tree he'd run into, burning through it and knocking it over. Marl dodged the tree, which promptly burst into flame. Soon, much of the clearing was inflamed, shedding shimmering waves of heat into the air. More trees caught fire, adding to the danger.

Riku tried to jump up and slash the pod head-on, but the gun's barrel struck him, throwing him backward into the largest patch of fire. Ren sent a burst of air at him, pushing him onto the few places left that weren't burning.

"I have an idea!" Riku yelled, waving his arms toward him to indicate that everyone should follow him. He jumped over a fire and landed behind the tree, meeting everyone else there.

He outlined his plan."If we all attack the pod at the same time, then we'll be able to destroy it. When I say go, we all strike. Agreed?"

"We need to try something before the rest of the forest catches. I'm up for it."said Marl.

"Me too," affirmed Ren.

"Me three," said Bolt.

"Me four," Sonic and Miles said simultaneously.

"Alright. Let's do it." Riku jumped out from behind the tree, only to be met by a furious stream of molten gas. He grazed past it, singing his jacket, and advanced upon the pod. He jumped and lodged his sword between the plastic plating, twisting as he did so. The pod's shield snapped off.

"Now!" Riku yelled.

Ren held the pod in place with several streams of air. Bolt electrified it, frying the circuits, as Marl shot an explosive arrow into the hull. Miles and Sonic kicked it from different sides at the same time, popping the pod's engine out. The vehicle immediately fell to the ground, spilling Eggman onto the charred grass.

He quickly stood up, pressing a button on his lapel.

"You didn't think I'd come without a little help, did you?" he said, backing away from them. More robots, identical to those that they'd fought earlier, rushed out from the tree cover. There were far, _far_ more now than they'd ever fought at once. This wasn't going to be pretty...

* * *

Serina walked through the cool hallways of Kyle's bunker, the artificial light gleaming off of her silver fur. She wished that she could fly by spinning her tail around, as Kyle could. She may be a Kitsune, but you needed more than one tail to fly. She waited for the metal doors to _whoosh_ open, allowing her to step inside the control room.

"Hey hun, what did you need me for?" she asked.

Kyle turned to her, pointing to the screen. "Look."

The video was captured by a security camera mounted on a tree, giving them a bird's-eye-view of the scene below. Hundreds of robots were fighting against six different people, but the people seemed to be doing well enough. It looked that way, until Kyle zoomed in. The white Hedgehog was bleeding out of a nasty gash in his side, and the green Wolf was carrying his Cat friend away from the battle, only to be blocked by another wall of robots. The orange Kitsune wasn't hurt too badly, but she was definitely getting tired, her kicks and punches missing more and more frequently. The only person who wasn't hurt was the blue Hedgehog, yet it still looked bad for the others in the clearing.

"Kyle, you need to do something. They're not gonna last much longer. Is the security grid operable?" Serina asked.

"Yes, I was just about to say that. Once we get these people inside, will you be able to heal them?"

Serina watched the screen carefully for a moment.

"...Yes, I should be able to heal them. But the wound that the white Hedgehog has may need some added medical help."

"Good. I'm gonna release the FightBots."

"Okay Kyle," she said, bending over slightly and kissing him. "I'm gonna be right at the entrance so they know where to go."

"Wait for most of the enemies to be destroyed first," he kissed back.

"I'll do that." she said. Kyle watched her walk out of the room, then shook himself slightly. _No time to be distracted now._

He typed a command into the computer:

[Active System: Enter, Defense Grid: Enter, No. of FightBots: ¾, Manual or Automatic: Manual, DNA Confirmation]

A glass panel opened on the keyboard. Kyle removed his glove and placed his hand on it, and the panel began to glow, outlining the creases and lines in his palm with a wave of UV light, which reflected back into the computer's system.

[Visual Confirmation: Complete.] The screen read. Kyle felt a sharp jab as the panel stabbed his finger to take a small blood sample.

[DNA Confirmation: Complete. Execute?]

"Yes." Kyle said out loud. A ceiling tile retracted, creating a square hole. A helmet and visor descended from the hole, connected by thousands of wires and cables, stopping right over Kyle's chair. He put the helmet on, completely covering his whole head.

Kyle now saw the battlefield above ground, as seen through the eyes of one of his FightBots. The screen was monochrome, and a steady stream of numbers and artificial vitals scrolled in the top right corner of his vision.

"Section A, destroy enemy targets. Section B, destroy enemy targets. Execute." Kyle said. A picture of a green thumbs-up winked at him in his vision, indicating that his robots were following orders without a hitch. Aboveground, several camouflaged hatches were opening, spilling out hundreds of dark red Fightbots, each one a metal torso, arms, and head on a set of wheels.

"Viewpoint, FightBot Section A Leader." His point of view suddenly changed to that of the robotic leader of Section A, who was currently targeting a robot that was about to finish off the white Hedgehog. A red target icon appeared on the enemy, and the screen suddenly jerked as the Section A leader punched at it. Kyle saw a robotic limb snap forward and puncture the hull of the enemy, pulling out wires and circuits as the arm retracted. _Wham! Crunch! Snap! _

[Repeat Action]

Section A leader punched again and again, ripping apart the enemy, and saving the Hedgehog's life. In the bottom of Kyle's vision, other smaller screens showed that the rest of Section A and B were destroying the enemy mechas. There was no resistance, since the enemies were only attacking their living targets.

The other Animals stopped what they were doing to watch the metal-upon-metal carnage as the FightBots tore Eggman's mechas to pieces, littering the burning clearing with shrapnel and shattered circuit boards.

Kyle heard Serina's voice off to the side, so he switched his point of view.

"Viewpoint, Camera A-1." His vision now showed the top of Serina's head, since the camera was positioned right over the bunker's main entrance.

"Everyone! Listen to me! We have medical supplies in here! Hurry up!" she shouted over the battle. Serina stood aside to let the other Animals run past her.

"Hey! Blue guy! Aren't you coming too?" she called to the blue Hedgehog.

"Nah, I've got other stuff to do. Thanks anyway!" he called back, running off into the forest. Serina watched him dash off, and it began to rain. The clouds that had accumulated all day finally released their loads, showering down onto the copse, extinguishing the flames.

"Exit Viewpoint. Execute." Kyle said. The helmet unattached itself from his head and rose back up into the ceiling. He glanced at the color monitor again, happy to see that the rain was putting out all of the fires.


	3. Amorous Flashback

**_An Author's Note:_**

**_Well people, it's the chapter that some of you have been dreading, while some of you were hoping for it. Most of this chapter is a flashback._**

**_DarkCloud 780's OC: Serina the Kitsune_**

**_Omega445's OC: Kyle the Kitsune_**

**_"Woah, Brice, you must be kidding me. Surely there's more than 2 OCs in this chapter, right?"_**

**_ Ha! WRONG! This chapter is all about Kyle and Serina. But next chapter will have nearly ALL of the OCs, so don't worry. And eventually, each OC will have a chapter that revolves around him or her, so don't think that this will only happen to Kyle and Serina. _**

**_The final ten lines (not ten sentences, ten lines) in the second flashback were written by DarkCloud 780, since he's better at writing romance than I am._**

* * *

Kyle reclined in his chair, considering the things that he'd just done, and the things he'd have to do now that he was hosting five additional people in the Hermitage. He stared up at the ceiling tile that his viewing helmet had disappeared to, as if that single metal square would give him an answer. _I know that we have enough food and power to support them, but..._ But what? Was it just his long solitude that made hims slightly averse to new company? A short while before, he'd wanted these new people to come. But the more people were here, the less privacy he'd have with Serina...

* * *

_Five weeks earlier, a major spike in energy showed up on Kyle's computer, indicating that something unknown had done something big. Since both the perpetrator and the resulting action were a mystery, Kyle decided to find out what it was, so he could prepare the Hermitage's defenses properly. _

_According to his computer, the sudden discharge of energy happened around Neku, a tiny fishing village on the shore, south of his home. It would be an hour's hike in both directions, so he over-packed his backpack with food and medical supplies to be on the safe side. Clipping his electron pistol to his belt couldn't hurt, either. _

_The morning fog rolled off of the ocean, smearing the green and blue outlines of the trees into indistinguishable blurs. The vapor felt good against his face, which had grown hot from hiking. Although he wasn't far from Neku, he was hungry, and decided to stop briefly to eat. He sat his backpack down on a tree stump and unzipped it, pulling out a sandwich. He took a bite and looked up at the sky, which was just as clouded over as the forest. _

_He remembered that his father used to love the fog. He'd sit outside the Hermitage every morning to look at it. Kyle too thought that the fog was interesting, but not quite enough to actually sit in it every day. Yet he had done so every day in memory of his father, who may have still been alive had he not gotten so involved in Project Arcturus..._

_A twig snapped loudly in the mist. Kyle quickly unholstered his gun, aiming it at the noise. _

_"Who's there?" he demanded. No answer, except for several more snapping twigs. Through the gloom stumbled another person; a teenage female Kitsune, near the same age as Kyle. She was injured, her left leg had a bleeding cut, and another cut was on her face. There were also burn marks on her forearms, which looked like shiny pink blossoms on her silver fur. Her pale blue pajamas were torn and dirtied from the forest._

_Kyle returned his gun to his belt and ran over to her. He put an arm around her waist and another around her shoulders, supporting her. _

_"Don't worry, you're gonna be okay," he said. She was taken completely by surprise. _

_"Oh! Uh, thank you! I didn't expect to find help way out here," she said. She tried to smile, but the cut on her face turned her grin into a wince. _

_"Sit here, I have some medical supplies," Kyle said as he moved his backpack off of the stump, giving her a place to sit. He pulled out a medical salve and applied it to the cut on her face, and then her leg. He took out some gauze and bandaged the cuts. He put the supplies back and took out a bottle of solution, and sprayed it on her burns. She flinched from the sting, but otherwise didn't object. He bandaged the burns also._

_"Thank you. You've no idea how grateful I am. It's a miracle that you found me!" she said. _

_"What happened to you? Are you from Neku?" Kyle asked. "I heard that something big happened there earlier today."_

_The girl's face fell, her smile of gratitude replaced by a frown of pain. _

_"There was...there was an attack. Something happened early in the morning. I don't don't really know what was going on; I was half asleep at the time. My parents woke me up, and our house was on fire. Out my window, I saw this burning beam of light. The beam struck my neighbor's house, and it collapsed...." she began to tear up. "I don't think he's alive anymore. Neither are my parents. They __died, too. I saw the roof collapse on them, right after our house got hit by the beam..." she now began to cry, but she continued with her story. _

_"They pushed me out the door before the roof fell. My mother slipped something into my pocket. It turned out to be this," she pulled an item out of her pajama pocket. It was a beautiful bejeweled brooch, a giant sapphire surrounded by smaller diamonds. Even though there was no light to reflect off of it, the brooch still refracted __something__...._

_"More houses were on fire. There were people screaming and running everywhere, and I was running too. I ran into the forest, and then I heard a huge explosion. I turned around, and I couldn't see most of the village anymore. There was too much smoke. I've been running from it ever since."_

_"Running from __it__? Is the thing that destroyed your home still following you?" Kyle asked. _

_"Oh, no. I never saw what caused all the damage." she said, tears falling from her face. "I can't believe I lost my parents like that...right in front of me...they could've escaped, but they pushed me out of the way..." she began to cry harder. _

_Kyle hugged her, allowing her chin to rest on his shoulder. _

_"It's okay, your not alone. My parents are gone, too." He said, but then immediately regretted it. He didn't want to make her feel worse by detailing his own story._

_"Why? What happened?" she asked. _

_"It's okay, you don't have to--" _

_"No, tell me." she insisted, probably assuming that Kyle's parents were killed by the same thing._

_"Well... a few years ago, I began experimenting with an extremely unstable chemical. It created a reaction that was supposed to be the world's ultimate source of free energy." he said. He skipped the scientific details that she wouldn't understand. "Eventually, the power source began to melt down in the middle of a demonstration. My father told me to leave so that he could enter the reaction chamber to shut it down. I told him that I should do it, since I created the experiment, but he threw me out of the room and did it himself. The chamber exploded. He didn't survive." Kyle said, his own eyes beginning to well up. "I've been alone in this forest for two years now. My mother had already died."_

_Kyle found his hug being returned as the girl comforted him._

_"I can't believe you've lived alone for that long." she said. "I...I have no reason to be sorry for myself now."_

_Kyle expected her to say something along the lines of 'You killed your father?!?,' so her reaction caught him off guard. _

_"But it's my fault, if I hadn't—" he began._

_"Everyone makes mistakes," she said. Kyle hadn't considered that. _

_"What's your name?" she asked, letting go of him. "My name is Serina."_

_"It's Kyle." he said. "Serina....that's a nice name."_

_"Thanks." she said. She smiled again, and this time, Kyle couldn't help but hug her, although he didn't have a reason this time. Serina didn't mind, and actually enjoyed it, and hugged back. They felt their problems slowly dissolve along with the fog as the morning sun came out. They both sat there, embracing each other, for what felt like forever. They let go of each other. _

_"You don't have a place to stay, do you?" Kyle asked. Serina shook her head. _

_"No, I don't, but there's a hostel a few miles up the coast, and they might let me use this to pay them," she said, indicating her brooch. _

_"I've got plenty of room back where I live. Would you like to come with me?" he asked._

_"I...I'd love to." she said. "...But we need to go back to Neku. There might be some people who survived the attack." _

_"Do you really want to go back there? Already?" Kyle asked worriedly._

_"I have to. If there's any chance that someone needs help back there, then we have to go."_

_"Well," he said uncertainly. "If you're sure you want to."_

_Serina stood up, replacing the brooch back into her pocket. "No, I don't want to. But this is about the people who are hurt back there. It's not about what __I__ want."_

_Kyle nodded and stood up. "Alright. Let's go."_

_Kyle was worried that the hike to Neku would be rough on Serina, both physically and mentally. But if she suffered any pain, she didn't show it, instead stamping an expression of determination on her face, which grew with each footstep. They both knew that they'd reached Neku when the smell of sulfur began to burn their noses. The trees began to thin out, and the ground began to slope towards the sea._

_On the shore was Neku. Or rather, what remained of Neku. Charred outlined squares were all that was left of homes. The few streets were cracked and warped. There were no more flames, but everything was still smoking. They could feel the heat from where they stood, several hundred yards away. Nobody who was still there could've survived, so there was no point in taking a closer look at the debris. A single skeleton hung limply over a blasted wall, with only it's lower half visible to them. It's upper half, by the looks of it, still had fur..._

_Serina began to hyperventilate when she saw the body. Kyle knew how dangerous hyperventilating was, so he pulled her into a hug, hiding her face in his chest so she didn't have to see her ruined home. _

_"I'm sorry," he whispered to her. "I'm so sorry..."_

_They both jumped as they heard something heavy approach from the other side of the forest, nearing the opposite side of the village. In the distance,they saw several trees get knocked over by a powerful force._

_"We need to leave." Kyle said, pulling Serina along with him as he ran back towards the Hermitage. Whatever was coming to the village was probably the thing that destroyed it. _

_

* * *

_

Kyle was startled from his reverie as the control room's doors opened.

"Hey, all the people are healed now," Serina said as she walked through the threshold, tossing the brooch up and down in her hand. "I wanted to double check and make sure that it's cool with you if they could stay here."

Kyle got up from his seat and kissed her, nudging her up against the wall.

"It's fine with me," he said.

"Good," she replied. She kissed him back and headed back to the door. "I'll tell them."

* * *

_They both ran through the forest, Neku long gone behind them. The trees flew past them in rapid succession as they fled, the sun inching higher and higher into the sky._

_"Do you think we lost it?" Serina asked. _

_"Yeah, I think so." Kyle said, glancing behind him. "There's an entrance to the bunker near here. Follow me." He ran slightly to the left to a low dip in the ground. At the bottom was a cluster of wild rosebushes, their thorny vines spiraling up the sides of the ditch. Kyle pressed a button on his wristwatch, and a circular section of the ground swung open like a trap door. Serina looked down into the concrete shaft, and saw a ladder. _

_"I'll go first," Kyle said. "That way I'll be able to turn everything on faster." He clambered into the hole and climbed down. Serina hesitated for a second and followed him. She blindly groped for each ladder rung as she descended. The circle of light above her closed, plunging the shaft into total darkness, making her freeze in shock._

_"This is why I wanted to go first. I'll turn on the lights as soon as I get to the bottom." Kyle said, his voice echoing up to her._

_"Okay," she said, continuing climbing downward. She reached her foot out, expecting another ladder rung, but it struck the floor instead...except it didn't feel like a floor. It felt like ground. _

_The lights slowly turned on, as if the room was waking up. Serina was completely disoriented; didn't they just go underground? They were now standing in a beautiful meadow. The trees that lined the copse were broad-leafed and heavy with multicolored fruit. Exotic birds in flashy plumages darted around the boughs, chirping to attract mates. Banks of bright flowers grouped together on the grass like schools of tropical fish. There was a small, placid lake, and beyond that, more trees. The sky was just as blue as the real sky, but there were no clouds, and no sun._

_"Where are we?" she asked in amazement. "This is incredible! I can't believe I'm actually here...did you make all of this?" _

_"Well, no," Kyle said, turning away from a tree that contained a computer console. "My dad planted most of what you see. But I've been maintaining it since he died. Do you like it?"_

_"Of course I do!" she said. She darted to the center of the meadow, but accidentally tripped. She landed in the soft grass, and was comfortable enough there that she didn't feel like getting up. The grass wasn't dirty and itchy, but soft and pleasant. It must have been designed that way._

_"Nice, huh?" Kyle asked as he lay next to her. The sky changed from day to night in a smooth stroke; purple and black swept above them, replacing the bright blue, and bringing in constellations. _

_"It's so real," she said as crickets began to chirp. She looked all around herself; the beautiful trees, the vibrant flowers, the lake, Kyle....she frequently let her eyes rest on Kyle. Of all the things in the meadow, his face made her forget about her late parents the most. _

_Kyle looked at her when she wasn't aware, also feeling an attraction towards her. _

_"Kyle, I don't know how to thank you for all this," she said. "You're the kindest person I've ever met. I doubt you take all of your guests to this room first."_

_He smiled. "Simulate moon. Full. Execute." A full, white moon rose up over the false horizon, as round and bright as a coin. _

_"Beautiful," they both said, but Kyle meant his guest, not the moon._

_They both stayed quiet for a while, listening to the sounds of the crickets as the fake stars winked at them._

_"...This is nice." Serina said after a half an hour. "Very romantic."_

_It was dark, so Serina couldn't have seen Kyle blush. But she must've known, anyway._

_"Did I embarrass you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow._

_"Maybe a little." he said._

_She rolled over closer to him. "Do you disagree?"_

_He smiled. "Nope. Not at all."_

_"Good." She noticed that the moon was reflected in his both of his eyes. She giggled._

_"What?" _

_"Nothing." She settled down next to him. "Ouch," _

_"What?" he asked again._

_"Nothing, I just hit a rock," she said, sitting up to rub the back of her head. Kyle reached over and removed the rock, but she laid back down while his arm was still there. Both of them pretended not to notice. Kyle eventually curled his arm, pulling her a little bit closer. She didn't object, and moved nearer to him of her own accord._

_She smiled and looked at him. "You got a bit of grass, there," she said, swiping her hand behind his ear to remove it. She continued scratching his ear, despite the grass already being gone._

_Kyle couldn't take it anymore. He kissed her._

_As their lips met, Serina's eyes widened in surprise. However, she returned it, her eyes shutting as a pleasant feeling went through her. She smiled behind the kiss and found herself embracing him. Kyle also smiled, and both knew it at that moment. They were in love. Neither one had known it until that point. They held the kiss until Kyle finally pulled away, gasping for breath. Serina was also __gasping for breath, and had planned to pull away at the same time that he had pulled away. "That was...nice! I liked it..." she said._

_Kyle was red as a beet, embarrassed by what he had done. Serina was also red, but as she looked into his eyes, she couldn't help but want to do it again. This time, she moved up and brought her lips to his. Now, their love was sealed. As they held their small peck kiss, both had similar thoughts...thoughts of how happy they were that they weren't going to be alone, how they wanted to stay with each other, and both realized that their only want at that moment was to be with each other. She pulled away, and both smiled as they gazed into each other's eyes. _

_"Kyle...I love you." she said._

_Kyle blushed brightly again and said, "I love you too, Serina."_

_She nodded her head against his as a loving gesture, and then laid down again, looking into the night sky. Without knowing it, she slowly nodded herself to sleep. Kyle kissed her cheek and said, "Good night, Serina." He embraced her as he too slowly fell asleep. Serina just smiled as she unconsciously snuggled against him._

_

* * *

_

Looking back on the first time they kissed, Kyle realized that it had all happened much too fast for it to be considered normal, or for that matter, _realistic_. Real relationships didn't happen this way. You can't just see someone, and then **BAM!** Be in love. But he now knew that they'd found each other at precisely the right time. Kyle missed his parents, and Serina missed hers. They were both lonely, confused, and a little scared at the prospect of being alone. But they found solace in each other, in more ways than one. While they may have only used each other for needy reasons at first, they loved each other _now_, and that's all that mattered.

Since then, everything had been relatively peaceful. Every so often, Serina would become very depressed when she thought about her family, but Kyle was always there to help her get through it. He himself was comforted in turn when he was reminded of his father. They were happy in their little isolated world.

Until they found Tyler, which really wasn't a bad thing. It was just, _the way they found him..._

And then the fiery battle with six new people, right above their home. What next? Some psychopathic Animal coming around to abduct people? Where were all of these people coming from, and why were they all coming to the Hermitage?


	4. Food, Then Fear, Then Fighting

**_The Obligatory Author's Note:_**

**_Here's chapter four. Quite a lot of crap happens. I had to use some narrative jurisdiction for this part of the story, so it's very different from the forum. Also, when you see 'hostel,' it's not a typo. A hostel is a low-budget, usually run-down cheap hotel that travellers sleep in overnight. _**

**_DarkCloud 780's OCs: Miles Prower the Fox, Serina the Kitsune, Riku the Hedgehog_**

**_Omega 445's OCs: Kyle the Kitsune_**

**_Bolt the Wolf's OCs: Bolt the Wolf, Ren Swanson the Cat, Marl the Fox_**

**_Makito Namikaze's OCs: Cloud the Hedgehog_**

**_Brice Smudar's OC: Tyler Scrimmer_**

* * *

The seven of them were in the room together for the first time, in the recreational room of the Hermitage. The Rec Room was stylish and cozy; a large room with gigantic television screens dominating two walls. The other walls contained shelves and drawers full of sporting equipment, board games, videos, and music disks. New songs and movies were downloaded daily via an international online connection and stored in a smaller computer screen under the shelves. In the center of the room was a sunken pit, filled on one half by a tan couch and padded footstool that curved around to fit. The other half of the circle contained two plush chairs.

Bolt and Ren sat on one end of the couch, then Tyler next to them, then Riku next to him. Serina and Miles sat in the chairs, and Marl had chosen to stand in the back. Kyle stood up in front of them.

"Okay, so...to start things off, my name is Kyle. This whole complex," he said, gesturing around them, "is the Hermitage. It's pretty big; we've got swimming pools, gardens, farms, bowling alleys, dormitories--"

"Did you say bowling alleys?" Bolt interrupted excitedly.

"Um, yeah. The point I'm trying to make is, I know how awful the hostel a few miles from here is,"

Bolt, Ren, and Marl murmured in agreement.

"So you're all welcome to stay here, for as long as you need. We don't get very many travelers around here, especially not so many at one time."

"So, we can go anywhere? And do anything?" Ren asked.

"Yep. Just don't trespass into locked rooms; they're locked for a reason. And be respectful of the equipment, too. And clean up after yourselves." Kyle explained. "Any other questions?"

Tyler raised his hand, and Kyle pointed to him.

"Should we tell them about the food?" Tyler asked.

"Oh yeah! That part's my favorite." said Serina.

"Right. You see, our kitchen down the hall is fully automated, and stocked with nearly every ingredient known to sentient life on the planet, and gets automatically restocked every week, so we never run out of food for very long. The computer is programmed with hundreds of thousands of recipes. All you have to do is state what it is you want to eat, and it will create it. There's a lot more techno stuff that goes into it, but that's the basic idea." Kyle outlined.

"Me first!" Bolt yelled, blazing down the hall in a streak of green electricity, causing everyone's fur and hair to stand up briefly.

"Sorry about him. He's...very enthusiastic." Ren said. "I'm gonna go make sure he doesn't blow up your kitchen."

"I'll come with," Tyler said. "I'm hungry anyway, and I forgot that I left some pictures over there that I meant to put away."

They both got up from the couch and left. Riku also stood up.

"Thank you for the hospitality, but I wont' be staying for long. I intend to leave soon." he said.

"Oh really? That's a shame, you might like it here." Serina said.

"Again, thank you. But I really have to be going now." he reiterated.

"What's the rush? There's nothing else out here for miles." Kyle asked.

"It's personal." Riku said. Marl's ears twitched slightly, but otherwise said nothing. Both him and Riku left the room in opposite directions.

* * *

The white 1950's style diner-esque kitchen was clean and bright. The white and black checkered tiled floor and white tiled walls complemented the red stools and booths nicely. Bolt, Ren, and Tyler were sitting at the bar counter, where a holographic square floated in front of each of them. Each square asked 'How can I serve you?' in blue letters, and vibrated when they spoke.

"Are you sure that this can whip up anything I think of?" Bolt asked.

"I'm pretty sure," Tyler said, poking his crayons back into his crayon box. He'd been drawing on the counter before Bolt had run into the kitchen, and was now putting away his art supplies. "It's been able to make anything I ask. Watch." He faced the blue square and said, "Monte Cristo, with a side of raspberry preserves."

The blue square vibrated, then shot up into the ceiling. They felt a chorus of rumbles underneath the counter, and after a few moments, the part of the counter directly in front of Tyler opened up, his food rising out of the space on a floating platform.

"Ta-da," he said, taking a bite.

"Huh. I never would've believed it until now," Ren said. She faced her blue square, and said "Spring salad, side of ranch."

After a few more moments of identical hummings, her salad popped out of the counter, with a bottle of ranch sitting next to it.

"Alright, watch this," Bolt said, cracking his knuckles. "Everything on the menu at IHOP." Tyler quickly picked up his stack of crayon drawings, and accidentally dropped them onto the floor.

"I suggest you move your salad," Tyler said as he bent down to pick up the papers. Ren did so.

Everything on the IHOP menu appeared on the counter: omelets, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, French Toast, Stuffed French Toast, ten different kinds of pancakes, steak, chicken-fried steak, steak-fried chicken, potatoes, mashed potatoes, sandwiches, crepes, blintzes, bagels, the list went on and on as one of everything filled up the entire length of the counter.

"Sweet!" Bolt said, madly attacking the nearest stack of blueberry pancakes.

Tyler stared intently at one of his drawings. A crudely drawn clock with the hands pointing to 3:12 pm was on it, and underneath it was a spiky yellow thing. Tyler looked at the clock, and saw that it was 2:56. He quickly picked up the rest of his papers and left the kitchen.

"Enjoy your meal," he said as he left.

"Bye," Ren waved, before being splattered by maple syrup as Bolt devoured his third stack of pancakes.

* * *

Riku stepped out of the Hermitage's main entrance. He closed the door behind him and looked around the burned clearing, deliberating on which way to go now as the ashes swirled around him. It was a difficult choice; either stay near civilization to get food, and then be chased out of town, or stay away from civilization and starve. The second option was beginning to look good. He forlornly marched off into the woods, hoping to leave the complex far behind him. He walked a short ways until the bunker doors were out of sight, and the trees closed around him again, bathing him in a soft mottled green and blue glow. _Those were good people in there, _he thought to himself. _They don't need to get messed up because of me. I'm better of by myself. Everyone wins._

_You fool!_ Aku Yasha told him. _You know that the longer you house me, the longer I'll torment you. Why not just pass me along? You've got plenty of options. That silver Kitsune girl looked like a good host, or maybe that Wolf. He looks like he's been possessed before, so I doubt he'd mind much. _

"Shut up." Riku growled at it.

_Don't you tell me to shut up._ The black tattoo on Riku's arm cut into his flesh, burning it at the same time. He gasped in pain and staggered sideways.

_Don't. Ever. Tell. Me. To. Shut. Up._ Aku Yasha said, reinforcing the burns with each word. Riku began to groan loudly from the pain. He dropped his sword and continued staggering until he hit a wide tree stump. He fell down against it, his arms around his head, trying to block out the pain. It dimmed down, and finally stopped.

"I hate you." he muttered.

_I hate you too._

Riku was possessed by a demon. He'd been infected by it for some time, ever since he was a child. And it was still hard for him, even now that he was in his teens. It was still hard for him to be told that he was evil for housing something he didn't want. It was still hard to force himself to avoid making friends. It was still hard just to be alive, to endure the suffering that Aku Yasha forced him to go through. Aku Yasha had promised him that if he passed the curse along, then he'd be free from its influence. But Riku knew better; his demon was nothing more than a parasitic virus, trying to reproduce itself in multiple incarnations. Even if Riku had spread the curse, Aku Yasha would still have a hold on him. He was doomed to be with the demon, forever.

_Ugh, great. Someone's coming_. Aku Yasha mumbled. _It's that sniveling little human. Just go kill him, please. He's just so....irritating. Pretentious, even. Those immature drawings he makes... See? He's even got my sword. He's providing you with a way to rid him._

Riku ignored the demon's rambles; if he'd gotten used to anything, it was the demon's frequent desire to kill random strangers. Riku lifted his head off of the tree stump and turned around. Tyler was walking towards him, carrying his intimidating sword within its black sheath with some difficulty, since it was heavy for him.

"Hey! Kid! Be careful with that!" Riku said as he stood up, walking towards him. Tyler looked at him with apprehension, and Riku expected him to drop the sword and run. But he didn't, which Riku appreciated (and Aku Yasha detested).

"I--I thought you lost this." Tyler said. "You did lose it, right?"

"Uh, yeah, I did, actually." Riku said.

_The only thing that needs to get lost is him._

"...Did you say something?" Tyler asked.

_Oh, of COURSE he can hear me._If Aku Yasha had eyes, it would have rolled them. _Stupid little brat. Tell him to leave, if you're not going to kill him._

"No, I didn't say anything. What are you doing out here, anyway?"

Tyler glanced away from him briefly. "I was looking for someone, then I heard you say something. It sounded like you were hurt, and when I went to go see if you were okay, I tripped on your sword. I almost got cut on these spike things on the handle. How can you hold this if there's spikes?"

"It's difficult, believe me—" Riku swore suddenly. "I forgot my map back at the bunker."

_Heh. He didn't like the swearing. _

_I said shut up!_

_And I said DON'T TELL ME TO SHUT UP!_

More pain shot through Riku's arm. The edges of his black markings began to bleed as capillaries burst in his flesh. Riku yelled in pain, startling Tyler enough to jerk his grip on the handle of the sword. The sword's handle was covered in sharp barbs, and one of them cut his palm. Riku's pain stopped as Aku Yasha got distracted.

_Haha! Looks like you listened to me after all, you idiotic bag of flesh. You successfully infected another host for me._

_What_?

_My sword cut him. He has mere minutes until he's just like you! _

_Not gonna happen._

Riku took the sword away from Tyler with one hand and and grabbed his shoulder with another, steering him towards the bunker.

"Get back to the complex. Now!" he ordered.

"...Alright," Tyler said, taking a few steps back. "But you need to come with me, your arm's bleeding,"

"Nevermind that!" Riku snapped. He grabbed Tyler by the arm and half ran, half dragged him back to the complex. By the time he'd gotten there, a minute had passed.

_Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, you're running out of time!_ Aku Yasha reminded him.

Riku ripped open the doors to the Hermitage and chose the route that took him to the Rec Room. Kyle was standing near one of the touch screens, deciding on what movie to watch.

"Where's the infirmary?" Riku barked.

"The infirmary? Why? Is someone hurt?" Kyle asked.

"Answer the question!"

"Alright, calm down! It's down the hall on the left, past the kitchen." Kyle said, pointing in the correct direction. They ran down the hall, passing the open archway that led to the kitchen, where Bolt was still devouring his meal. They opened the door to the infirmary; a light blue tiled room with white beds lined up on one wall, separated by curtains. At the end of the room were two more doors. One led to the emergency and surgical room, while the other led to the bathroom.

"Get in there and wash your hand, with the hottest water possible." Riku commanded, pointing to the bathroom. Tyler gave him a confused look, until he looked at his palm, which was turning black, as if he'd squeezed the tip of a black marker. He quickly ran to the bathroom. The restroom's sink was the kind that doctor's used to clean their hands before an operation; it was tall and deep, made of brushed stainless steel. Tyler had to pull out a stepladder since he was too short to reach it. He turned the tap on and began washing his hand.

Riku began pulling apart drawers in the cabinets on the walls, looking for a scalpel. He found one and joined Tyler by the sink.

"I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt," Riku apologized in advance. He took Tyler's hand and sliced his palm with the scalpel, cutting open the black stain. Tyler grunted loudly, and a horrible, inky liquid oozed out of the wound and dripped into the hot water of the sink, and was washed down the drain. The skin on Tyler's hand began returning to normal.

"...What's going on? Why are you doing this?" Tyler asked him, his eyes wide in fear in confusion.

"My sword, and myself, are...infected. I'm carrying a horrible disease. That's why I wanted to leave so soon, so this wouldn't happen."

"Is that what the black thing on your arm is? Some sort of plague lesion, like a chicken pock, or a rash?" Tyler asked him.

"...Yes. That's what it is."

_Why not tell him the truth?_

_Because he'll hate me enough as it is once he realizes he could've been infected, too._

There was a pause as the hot water continued to gush out of the faucet. The blood leaking out of Tyler's palm steadily turned red instead of black as the spot shrank in size.

"Thank you." Tyler said.

"Don't mention it."

"Now are you going to tell me the truth?"

Riku looked at him. "What?"

"You're not infected with a _disease_, are you? It's something else."

Riku looked away again. "It's better if you didn't know." He walked over to his sword and picked it up, the sharp thorns on the handle pricking his hand, like always. He left the infirmary without a further explanation and trudged down the hall, past the Rec Room, ignoring Kyle's quizzical stare. As he walked back outside, noticed that the green Wolf, Bolt, was following him.

He turned around. "Can I help you with something?" Riku asked him.

"Yeah. I'd like to know why you slashed that kid's hand just a few seconds ago." Bolt demanded.

"He was infected."

"With what?"

"A disease."

"A disease? He looked fine five minutes ago."

"...It's really complicated--"

"We've got time." Bolt said, crossing his arms. There was a long, uncomfortable pause, but Bolt didn't drop the subject.

"Do you really want to know?" Riku asked. Bolt nodded.

He sighed, both from irritation and exasperation. "I'm possessed."

"Possessed? Like, with a demon?" Bolt asked.

"Yes. A rather...dangerous demon. He's been inside me since I was small." He paused.

"Go on." Bolt said.

Riku sighed again. "Because of my demon, I was shunned from my home and eventually exiled. They didn't realize that it wasn't my fault that my demon caused certain mishaps to happen. They thought that I was the evil one. ...Are you okay?" Riku asked, briefly pausing his story when he noticed that Bolt's eyes looked rather bloodshot.

"I'm fine." he said, gruffly. "Keep going."

"Anyway, I discovered that the demon wasn't just interested in possessing me and taking over my body. It wants to spread to other hosts, and eventually create an army of its own. It can spread either when another person comes into contact with the demon itself, or if they touch the spines on my sword's handle." he said, showing Bolt the barbs on the sword. "Are you sure that you're okay?" He noticed that Bolt's green fur had darkened somewhat.

"I told you, I'm fine." he said. Riku continued.

"It was this sword that possessed me in the first place. That kid found the sword and was trying to return it to me, thinking that I lost it. I must have scared him, because he jumped suddenly and scratched himself on the hand with it. That's why I was cutting him; I was taking the demon out."

"Why can't you take your own demon out?" Bolt asked.

"Because my body's gotten so used to it, that I would die if it was removed. That's why I need to leave, so nobody else gets infected."

"I'd say that's a pretty good idea." Bolt said, his voice much more menacing.

Riku's expression fell for a moment. He'd hoped that Bolt would try to stop him from leaving.

"Didn't you hear me? You're not wanted here. Get lost." Bolt ordered, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder.

"You don't need to tell me twice." Riku said. He'd been rejected in worse ways, so this wasn't as bad as most people might think. Riku disappeared into the forest, in the direction of the sea.

Bolt watched him leave, but then static began to fill his fur. _What?_ he thought. _Somebody else with electrokinesis?_

_

* * *

_

A sheet of paper blew through the forest, lifted high through the branches of trees, along with the dried leaves of the forest floor. The wind stirred through the boughs and limbs, creating loud, airy sighs of contentment as the afternoon clocks indicated that the current time was 3:11.

Cloud the Hedgehog stood on the top branches of a tree, gazing at the waving horizon of green plants all around him. He saw the piece of paper blow in his direction, and he caught it. A sloppy clock in thick black crayon was drawn on it, and underneath it looked like some sort of spiky yellow thing with a sword. _Hey, that kinda looks like me,_ Cloud thought to himself. He folded the picture up into a paper airplane and tossed it. It rode the wind out of his field of vision. _Alrighty, it's time to find whatever it was that I was lookin' for, _he thought.

He stepped off of the branch and fell straight down for several yards, landing solidly on his feet. He ran through the forest, using his internal demon instincts to find the Big Thing that he was sensing. A few hours ago, he'd been randomly wandering through the Viridor Forest, assuming that he was completely alone. But then he sensed the outline of a massive structure built underground, and where there were structures, there were people. And where there were people, there were McDonald's restaurants, and boy was he **fricking hungry!**

That was his main goal: to get a burger. That's all he wanted at this point. Oh, and a fight. A big violent fight. That would be awesome right now. Or even a burger and a fight** at the same time. **That would just be fan-freaking-tastic.

In the corner of his mind, he felt a familiar buzzing noise, like a distant hive of bees. The buzzing noise was coming from the Big Thing's entrance, so he'd run into it anyway. _Maybe it'll wanna fight me. And maybe it has a Big Mac. Yum.... _he daydreamed for a moment as he ran, imagining that the entire menu of McDonald's was in front of him. He shook himself slightly to focus._ Wouldn't be a good idea to run into a tree at this speed,_ he thought.

Eventually, the trees thinned, and he punched in through the border of the clearing. The clearing was large and a few degrees warmer than it should be. There were several patches of blackened cinders, and some logs were still smoldering. The buzzing noise was very loud now, and apparently emanating from the green Wolf standing near a large-ish tree. The Wolf was gripping his head in pain.

"Hey, you." Cloud called out to him. "Are you okay?"

The wolf stood up straight and looked at him. "Erm, yeah, I will be."

"What's the problem?"

"Nothing. Just a stupid demon."

Cloud jerked his head slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear you."

"I said a stupid demon's making my head hurt. Geez, why are demons so...awful? All they ever do is make people unhappy. Well, I shouldn't say that. They don't make me unhappy."

Cloud cheered up for a moment.

"They make me sick instead." The Wolf finished.

Cloud bristled, causing yellow sparks of electricity to bounce off of him. "You know, I happen to be a demon."

The Wolf crouched slightly into a battle-ready position. "Really? I heard that a village burned down a few weeks ago. You wouldn't happen to cause, I mean, _know _how that happened, do ya?"

"I haven't the foggiest." Cloud said, unsheathing his sword. "Maybe if all mortals are like you, then demons actually have a reason to kill people."

"Them's fightin' words." The Wolf said.

"Bring it." Cloud invited.

Bolt rushed at him with his fists out, but Cloud dodged his attack. He pulled his arm back, then punched Bolt in the face, knocking him backwards into the tree, slamming his back against the metal double doors. Cloud ran up to him with his sword, but Bolt quickly got to his feet and kicked Cloud in the groin. Cloud wheezed, doubling over, then growled in anger. He pointed his sword at Bolt, which crackled with yellow electricity. A streak of lightning shot out, ramming Bolt in the stomach. He absorbed most of the blast, but the force of the blow pushed him over.

"Hmph. Two can play at that game." Bolt said, charging his hands up with green sparks of static. He fired several electric blasts at Cloud, who dodged all but the last one, which flipped him over onto the ground. The charge got absorbed into his sword, which he pointed at Bolt again, firing a recycled blast. Bolt dodged it, and a tree got fried as a result. They both ran up to each other and locked fists. Yellow and green lightning blazed out of their hands as they tried to push each other back, each electrical strike gouging divots out of the ashy ground.

"Give up?" Bolt asked.

"Not a chance."

Their energies intensified, throwing huge arcs of static into the air, slicing branches off of the surrounding trees. It looked like neither of them would win, but that didn't mean that either of them would give up. Cloud would gladly let the entire clearing be destroyed if that meant he could win, as long as no one else got hurt.

A sudden gust of wind blew out of nowhere, hurling sharp pebbles and cinders against them. They both turned to see Ren glaring at the two of them, her arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently. They let go of each other, and the lightning stopped.

"Bolt, what the hell are you doing?" Ren demanded, marching up to him. "Do you have any idea what all this fighting sounds like underground? We thought there was a war going on up here!"

"But, Ren, this guy's a demon--" Bolt began, but Ren stopped him.

"I don't care what he is, you have no right in attacking him! I don't think I'd be too far off the mark if I thought that you started this fight."

"But--"

"No. No buts. Just apologize. Now." She marched back to the metal doors and returned to the Hermitage.

There was an awkward pause.

"Sorry about that." Cloud said. "I get violent when I'm hungry."

"I'm sorry too, I guess. But you're still a demon--"

"Not all demons are bad. Just the bad ones." Cloud explained simply.

"Oh, well that's different. I'm Bolt." he said, shaking Cloud's hand.

"I'm Cloud. Nice to meet you; that was a fun fight."

"Yeah it was. We should do it again."


	5. Return, Please And There's A Surpise

_**Another Boring Author's Note:**_

_**Alright youse guys, chapter five. A LOT of it didn't happen in the forum, except for the thing at the very, very end...**_

_**The last seven lines (not sentences, LINES) were written by DarkCloud 780, since I'm awful at writing romance. **_

_**Lol, Cloud.**_

_**DarkCloud 780's OCs: Miles Prower, Serina the Kitsune, Riku the Hedgehog**_

_**Makito Namikaze's OCs: Cloud the Hedgehog**_

_**Bolt the Wolf's OCs: Bolt the Wolf (duh), Ren Swanson the Cat, Marl the Fox**_

_**Brice Smudar's OC: Tyler Scrimmer**_

**_Also; If you feel that your OCs are not in character, let me know. _**

* * *

The drawings held a lot of meaning for him. Everything was going right....well, as right as it could possibly go after The Disaster. Thanks to The Disaster, everything was subjective now. While he had a good idea as to what happened next, it was no longer written in stone. It could change. Not only that, but he couldn't see as far into the future as he would've liked, leaving big white margins on the edges of his paper.

The crayon accidentally snapped in his hand, the red stub slicing across the picture of Riku, decapitating him. That wasn't a good sign.

* * *

One of Marl's favorite pastimes was being alone, especially after spending a long period of time in the company of others. Being alone was more precious to him when it could easily be shattered by any of the other people in the Hermitage. He sat on the tree stump with his legs crossed and arms relaxed. Only his ears moved as they twitched towards the sounds of the forest; the sound of a sparrow as it flitted through a tree, the chattering of a squirrel as it poked along the base of his stump, and the distant noises of Bolt sparring with the new yellow guy.

He was completely at peace with himself and the grove around him. He became completely in tune with the swaying of the trees, the swirling of the leaves as they blew around, and the chirping of the forest insects. He frowned when he heard the twig snap.

"Go away," he muttered, not caring who it was that was bothering him.

"I—I know I'm interrupting, but this is important." said the human. Marl didn't know his name yet, but it wasn't as if he tried to learn.

"I'm listening." he said, keeping his eyes closed and not turning around to face him.

"Have you seen that white Hedgehog anywhere recently?"

"Yes. He passed by here around two-and-a-half hours ago."

"In which direction?"

"Towards the sea."

"Thanks."

* * *

Bolt dodged the weak lightning attack that Cloud threw at him and retaliated with his own blast. It connected with Cloud's side and pushed him onto the ground.

"Cloud, you can't eat McDonald's _and_ fight me at the same time." he said.

"Sure I can!"

"No, you can't, otherwise I wouldn't be beating you so badly."

"You are not beating me! I'm winning so far!"

"Ren?" Bolt called.

"Cloud=3, Bolt=11." Ren said, reading off of the tally sheet she'd been writing on. Cloud hastily gobbled up the rest of his burger and belched loudly, making Ren wince.

"Alright, now I'm ready."

Bolt rolled his eyes and got back into a fighting stance. Cloud copied him, and waited for Ren's signal.

"Three...two...one...go!" she yelled, starting the fight. They both shot weak ribbons of electricity at each other, causing the two streaks to collide in the center, kicking up ashy dust from the ground of the clearing. Bolt was used to Cloud being handicapped by his food, so he didn't expect to be punched in the gut. He bent over, winded, and quickly stood up straight, firing several bolts of electricity as he did so in front of him. Bolt turned to see if Ren had watched his last move, but was disappointed to see that she was gone.

* * *

"So, why do we need to get Riku back?" Ren asked as she and Tyler walked through the forest towards the ocean. Tyler had asked her to come with him to the ocean during the fight between Bolt and Cloud, so he wouldn't get lost.

"For two reasons:" Tyler said. "One, because I don't think he really wanted to leave. And the second reason is a very long story."

"You might as well say it now, since it'll be a little while before we get to the sea."

Tyler sighed, choosing his words carefully, which Ren found odd. Why would a child his age need to think about 'choosing his words?' That was something adults did.

"There's something under the Hermitage. I don't know what it is, or why it's there, but it's there. And it's doing something big. Something that involves all of us. Whatever it is, it's been drawing people to the this forest, and to the Hermitage. I don't know why. But it's just started. And it has a set order to it, too. Or, at least, it used to."

"I don't think I understand..." Ren said.

"I don't think I do, either. What I'm trying to say is, there's something ancient underneath the Hermitage that's drawing a bunch of people to this place in a specific, predictable pattern."

"Really? Is that why Bolt, Marl, Miles, Sonic, Riku, and I are here?"

"I think so. That's why I'm here, too."

"That reminds me, how did _you_ get here?"

There was a pause. "I'll tell you some other time. Anyway, there was a predictable order in which all of these people, including us, were coming. But something happened about a month ago that changed all that. Did you hear what happened to Neku?"

"You mean that fishing village? I heard it got totally flattened."

"Well, that's where Serina came from. But Serina wasn't supposed to come to the Hermitage."

"So, what does that mean?"

"It means that whatever destroyed Neku messed up the order in which people arrived. And until recently, I could foretell the order of people."

Ren stopped walking. "You could? You can see the future?"

"...Sort of. I can only predict the people coming to the Hermitage." Tyler was wearing a black rectangular bag that went over his shoulder with one strap. He opened the bag and pulled out one of his crayon drawings. "I drew this a few hours ago."

The picture showed a pair of double doors in the center. Around the doors were large circles, and within the circles were messy drawings of Bolt, Kyle, and the others. Each person had their own circle, and each circle was connected to the double doors with a line. Cloud was the furthest person to the edge of the paper.

"I see some more lines, but nobody's attached to them. What does that mean?" she asked.

"I can't see any further than that. More people are coming, but I don't know who. And if we don't get Riku back, then the order will really be screwed up. He wasn't supposed to leave. He was brought to the Hermitage for a reason, and if we don't get him back, then something awful will happen."

"What will happen?" Ren asked. Tyler didn't answer her. He'd already drawn the outcome himself, and he didn't like it.

"...That's why we need Riku back. He needs us to solve his internal problems, and we need him to solve our external ones. That's what I know."

"Wow. ...Why do you know all this?"

"I'll tell you later." he said again. His mood suddenly changed to one that actually fit an 8-year-old. "So, are you and Bolt a _thing_? Like, a boyfriend-girlfriend thing?"

Ren laughed. "No, silly. We're just really good friends." _Maybe more than friends..._she thought hopefully.

* * *

The hostel sat on Heel Peak, a very narrow hill-like cliff that pointed over the sea. Heel Hostel, the only hotel in the area, sat at the very top, surrounded on three sides by a sheer drop off. The waters below the peak were choppy and dark, and the wind blew constantly against the building. Riku sat in his grimy, moldy room on the second story, consulting the map laid out on his lap. _Hmm...If I go southward, I'll make it to Soleanna... _He'd seen pictures of the so-called 'City of Water,' and wondered if it was as beautiful in real life. _That sounds like a good place to go next. I'll be in and out of there before anyone notices. _

He folded up the map and put it back in his jacket pocket. He lay back on the smelly bed and gazed at the ceiling, staring at the leaking cracks in the plaster. Rain began to drum against the hostel, pattering against the cracked window. _This place really does suck,_ he decided.

There was a tentative knock at his door. He quickly got up and crossed the room and opened it, but nobody was there. Just the peeling pink wallpaper in the hallway.

"Down here," someone said. Riku looked down and saw Tyler.

"Oh, hey. What are you doing here?"

"Lookin' for you. Can I come in?"

Riku hesitated, but decided that the hallway was much dirtier than his room, so he let Tyler in.

"...Nice room. I don't think I'd be underestimating this place if I thought this was the master suite," Tyler said. A wooden chair was in the corner of the room, and he sat in it as Riku sat on the bed.

"...So, why are you here? Did something happen?" Riku asked.

"Yeah, something happened. You left."

"Well, yeah, I did."

"Are you coming back?"

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Why not? Do you like this place better, for all it's...country charm?"

"I thought I overstayed my welcome."

"Everyone else had the same welcome, and nobody's leaving."

"You wouldn't want me there."

"Again, why not?"

"Kid, look at your hand. It wouldn't have cut on it if it wasn't for me. You wouldn't have been almost possessed if I hadn't come along."

"I'm fine, aren't I? And now we know not to touch your sword."

"It'll only be a matter of time until you ask me to leave."

"Why do you say that? Nobody's asked you to leave."

"That green Wolf did."

That caught Tyler by surprise. "He did?"

"Yes. He told me, and I quote, to 'Get lost.'"

"...He doesn't speak for everyone." Tyler said.

"Why do you want me back there so badly? You don't even know me. You don't know how much trouble I could cause."

"If you came back, would you willingly cause trouble?"

"No, but--"

"And if there was any trouble, wouldn't it be your demon's fault, instead of your fault?"

"Well, yeah, but--"

"Then what's the problem?"

"Listen to me!" Riku barked, trying to keep his voice down. "No matter where I go, no matter what I do, I'm always causing problems!"

Tyler stood up, but he didn't get much taller. "We _need_ you back there."

"..What?"

"We need you. Something horrible is going to happen, and from what I know so far, you play a big part in stopping it."

"What's going to happen?"

Tyler didn't answer him for a moment. "Just...something bad."

"...You're not going to tell me?"

"No."

"That's very convincing." Riku said, crossing his arms.

"That's not the only reason, though."

"There's another reason?"

"Well, yeah." He sat back down again. "You've been pushed out of towns, right? You've been wandering all over the continent since you were my age, right? You've had no friends, no home, no nothing. All you've ever had is pain."

Tyler opened his bag and removed another crayon drawing, and handed it to him. On it was a poorly-drawn picture of Riku, standing in the corner of the page. A giant black Venus-flytrap type monster was sticking out of him, made entirely of solid black crayon, colored so thickly that black wax shavings were stuck to the paper. The black monster was chasing the multicolored stick people away from the drawing.

"Wouldn't it be nice," Tyler said. "To be someplace where you're wanted? To have friends? Something is supposed to happen at the Hermitage that will help you."

Riku was torn: what if Tyler was right? What if this was his chance to have a home, and to meet new people, and finally settle down and live the life he wanted? Or, what if this was just a huge mistake, and they would chase him away?

The desire to have people welcome him was too strong. "Alright. I'll come back."

"Thank you."

* * *

Over the course of the next two weeks, the people at the Hermitage began to form distinct groups. Kyle and Serina were almost always together, and were usually found in either the garden, the Rec Room, or Kyle's room. Marl usually kept to himself, preferring to stay outside and meditate. Ren liked to hang around with Tyler, and Bolt liked to be wherever Ren was, so they formed that group. Riku was usually alone, but not because he was being ignored; it was a habit of his to be solitary. But he joined everyone during mealtimes to conversate and enjoy himself, for once. Cloud mingled with all groups, except for Marl. Cloud had tried to sneak up on Marl while he was meditating, and wound up with an arrow lodged in one of his quills.

After sparring with Bolt for a few hours, Cloud came back inside the Hermitage, his sleeveless black shirt covered with numerous tears (Bolt had developed a new technique: shoot anything that moves), and ready to unwind and relax in the Rec Room._ There'd better not be someone else with the remote control in there,_ he thought. He entered the Rec Room, and sure enough, Tyler was already in there with the remote in hand, watching a show.

"Hey Ty, I'm gonna watch a show now, so hand me the remote."

Tyler raised an eyebrow. "I'm already watching something, but it's over in a few minutes."

"_You_ are gonna be over in a few minutes if you don't give me the remote. And you're sitting in my spot,"

"So?" Tyler said.

"So you'd better move."

Tyler smirked. "Make me."

Cloud laughed. "You asked for it." He walked over and sat on him. "I told you, this is my spot."

"_Geez_, Cloud, you _smell_. Deodorant was invented for a reason."

"You're hilarious. Now gimme the remote."

Tyler hid it behind his back. "Nope."

Cloud curled his arm around the back of Tyler's head, shoving his face into his armpit in a headlock. He took the remote and flipped it to his channel.

"Have either of you seen Serina?" Kyle asked as he walked in.

"Yeah, I saw her earlier today in The Garden. I think she said something about wanting to see you." Cloud said, not letting go of Tyler.

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I forgot." he said, zoning out as he watched the television.

Kyle sighed as he left the room and headed towards the garden. He walked a good distance down the brushed chrome hallways until he found the circular double doors that led to The Garden. The giant domed room was different than the real outdoors; the sky was bright blue, the trees were heavy with ripe fruit, and a few peacocks strutted around the meadow. Kyle looked around for Serina, and spotted her sitting on the edge of the lake, gazing at it thoughtfully.

"Hey, Cloud said you wanted to see me," he said, sitting next to her.

She didn't waste any time, and immediately kissed him.

As Serina kissed him, Kyle was suddenly taken off guard. However, he returned the kiss passionately, embracing her as he did so. She moved as close to him as she could and her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him into a gentle open-mouth kiss. He always enjoyed these kisses, though he wasn't ready for Serina to bring them into another one so suddenly. He had to break it to take a quick breath before quickly returning the kiss. His tails began flicking back and forth excitedly as his passion rose, and he embraced her even tighter. She let out a moan as he tightened his grip, and she pushed her mouth up against his as much as she could. She began rubbing his back, gaining a slight moan from him as an intensely pleasing tingle shot through his back. He felt like he could keep the kiss held forever, but she finally pulled away,her eyes glowing from the intense happiness she had just re-experienced.

Kyle said, "That was nice...but what was that for? It was so random..."

Serina smiled and said, "I have some good news, Kyle. You're a father."


End file.
